Breaking News Emails

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Wednesday that overnight missile strikes on military bases housing American forces in Iraq were a "slap in the face" to the U.S. and not sufficient retaliation for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week.

Speaking before a large crowd in the holy city of Qom, Khamenei gave a lengthy tribute to Soleimani in a speech that was interrupted with chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."

Khamenei reiterated his government's longstanding demand that Washington withdraw its forces from the Middle East. Ending U.S. influence and interventions remained the country's ultimate goal, he said, stopping short of calling for further attacks on U.S. targets.

Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi air bases housing U.S. forces overnight, according to U.S. officials. There are no reports of casualties so far. Iran has claimed it was acting in self-defense.

“Military operations do not suffice. What is important in addition to retaliation is to end the U.S.’s corrupting presence in the region," Khamenei said in the televised speech. "The discussion about revenge is something else. This was just a slap in the face last night."